Ben Carson Threatens GOP Over Brokered Convention Report

The Washington Post broke a story yesterday about a dinner between the Republican National Committee and several top GOP donors to discuss the state of the race heading into the primaries. Among the most contention items, according to the report, is a demand from donors that the RNC be prepared to have a floor fight to stop Donald Trump from becoming the nominee if he amasses a sizable number of delegates. Apparently this isn’t sitting well with Ben Carson who is threatening to leave the Republican Party over the matter.

Ben Carson on Friday blasted the Republican National Committee following a Washington Post report that nearly two-dozen establishment party figures were prepping for a potential brokered convention as Donald Trump continues to lead most polls.

RNC Chairman Reince Priebus held a dinner in Washington, D.C., on Monday, and, according to five people who spoke with the Post, the possibility of Trump heading into the Cleveland convention with a noteworthy number of delegates was a topic of discussion. In the meeting, a number of Republicans suggested the establishment lay the groundwork for a floor fight that would lead the party’s mainstream wing to unite behind an alternative.

“If the leaders of the Republican Party want to destroy the party, they should continue to hold meetings like the one described in the Washington Post this morning,” Carson said in a statement released by his campaign.

Carson said he prays the Post’s report is incorrect and threatened to leave the GOP. “If it is correct, every voter who is standing for change must know they are being betrayed. I won’t stand for it,” said Carson, who noted that if the plot is accurate, “I assure you Donald Trump won’t be the only one leaving the party.”

The retired neurosurgeon said that next summer’s Cleveland convention could be the last Republican National Convention if leaders try to manipulate it.

“I am prepared to lose fair and square, as I am sure is Donald,” Carson said. “But I will not sit by and watch a theft. I intend on being the nominee. If I am not, the winner will have my support. If the winner isn’t our nominee then we have a massive problem.”

You can read the Post story here, it’s worth a read to get an understanding of the churn within the upper ranks of the Republican establishment over the current crop of candidates. If it did come down to some engineered convention, I suspect it would be a lot more than Carson leaving the GOP. Just consider the large chunk of support that Trump, Cruz, and Carson command with the Republican field. If the “outsiders” were being shunned by the party, that’s a lot of voters potentially sitting home or voting third-party if it came down to that. All of this most certainly benefits the Democratic nominee if the GOP is splintered heading into next year.

Nate Ashworth is the Founder and Editor-In-Chief of Election Central. He's been blogging elections and politics for almost a decade. He started covering the 2008 Presidential Election which turned into a full-time political blog in 2012 and 2016.

3 COMMENTS

Ben Carson just assured himself the Vice Presidency of the United States of America!

He exposed the crooked RNC Elite of plotting to do to Trump in 2016 the same criminal acts they succeed with in eliminating Ron Paul in 2012!

Gotta love Ben Carson! He defends one of his opponents in the presidential run — Donald Trump — because, Ben is an honest man!

Only a fool will pass on choosing patriot Ben Carson as his running mate — and Trump is no fool.

As VP, Ben Carson will win enough minority, libertarian, independent and all-around Real Americans votes TO ASSURE that the other Clinton criminal — Hillary — will never pollute Our White House by entering it again!

And, whom will Hillary Clinton choose as her running mate…?!
The field seems to be empty — since the Clinton Machine has squashed all opposition to Hitlery’s run….

Will the Clintons buy Bernie Sanders — I don’t think so.

Could it be Elizabeth Warren — the reason she backed out to run, in order to play second fiddle to Hitlery? That would fit Hillary’s claim of: It’s time for The Year of The Woman (Women…since two of them now)?

This could be a mathematically possible win — since the “minority of women” are actually a majority in US population — except that Hillary is perceived as human trash, and Warren as just another socialist sow.